New Delhi

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday said that its founder Abhijeet Dipke had been detained by the police and alleged that security personnel used force against peaceful protesters.

In a post on X, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das urged MPs to stand with the students.

"Dipke has been picked up by the police," Das said.

"We request all MPs to immediately stand in support of the students on the streets. The police are brutally cracking down and beating peaceful protesters," he alleged.

Earlier in the day, thousands of students, activists, and professionals gathered at Jantar Mantar and around for a march to Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protesters, who have gathered under the banner of CJP, an online movement, have been seeking accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and recurring paper leaks.

READ MORE: V.P. Suhara fights for justice for Muslim women with Quran and Constitution

The police used baton charges and tear gas shells to scatter the protesters, many of whom breached the barricading erected across central Delhi.